Squat Setup – Foot Position

To unrack the bar, you get the most power and stability if your feet are directly under your hips (not too wide) and centered under the bar (bar over shoelaces).

• If your feet are too far forward (as in the first video example) you won’t be under the bar when you unrack. Since it will force your lower back to work much harder to unrack, the weight will ‘feel’ much heavier than it has to.
• Second example, the lifter’s feet are centered under the bar. It is ‘over the shoe laces’, and the bar pops straight up.
• If you are too far forward, it will be off balance and the weight will pull you backwards awkwardly once it comes out of the rack.